An 1876 centennial teacup & saucer
celebrating the
1772 Burning of the H.M.S. Gaspee by colonial patriots, was made in England as a comemorative set of bone-china
demi-tasse
cups. These sets were undoubtedly sold as souvenirs at the 1875
Centennial Gaspee Day celebration.
Cup has line drawing of the Gaspee and reads: First Blow For
Freedom/Gaspee/June
10th 1772. Saucer has the Rhode Island seal and reads: First
National
Centennial Anniversary-1876. There are no visible markings on the
bottom of either the cup or saucer. There are at least three
variants of the print color; black, blue, and brown. The RI
Historical Society has a set
of two of these cups and saucers on display in the butler's pantry in
the
John Brown Mansion, and several more are privately held.

The motto
of the modern Gaspee Days
Committee is derived from the
language used on the teacups...America's

"First
Blow for Freedom".

Gaspee Beer Stein

For lack of a better place to
put it,
here's also a pewter Gaspee Days beer stein sold by the Gaspee Days
Committee during the Gaspee bicentennial. Don't bother with eBay,
it's likely available for a penny at many Warwick area garage sales.